By Robert Wilson
Jackson Prep’s Kevin Roberts is considered one of the top high school baseball players in the country in the Class of 2026.
The pitcher-infielder is rated No. 9 player in the country by Perfect Game, has Division I offers from 27 schools, including all 16 teams from the SEC, and helped Prep to its seventh consecutive state championship last year as a sophomore.
But Roberts is also a force on the basketball court, and he was especially a problem for two of the best teams in Mississippi last week.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound forward averaged 13.5 points and 12 rebounds and had two double doubles and helped Prep to MAIS Class 6A conference victories over Madison St. Joseph and defending MAIS 6A and Overall Tournament champion Jackson Academy last week.
For his outstanding performance, Roberts has been named the Tatum and Wade/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Boys Basketball Player of the Week.
Roberts had 15 points and 12 rebounds in 62-42 victory over Madison St. Joe last Tuesday and 12 points, 12 rebounds, a career-high 5 assists, and 3 steals in a 63-49 victory over JA Friday. JA came into the week ranked No. 5 and St. Joe No. 19 in Mississippi by MaxPreps.
He is averaging 12.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.5 blocked shots this season coming into this week and has eight double doubles (points and rebounds) this year.
Roberts averaged 7.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists and helped Prep to a 25-12 record, a 6A state runner-up finish and Overall semifinal finish last year as a sophomore.
“Kevin has made a huge stride from last season to this season,” second-year Prep coach Zach Allison said. “We are proud of his development in all areas of his game, while also stepping into a leadership role for us. This year, Kevin has been vocal on the floor, and ensuring our team is on the same page at all times. He does a great job of quarterbacking our offense. We try to flow through Kevin, many times as he is the one making decisions on the court of what we are doing offensively. He has a special skill set that gives him a matchup advantage most nights. Kevin is an excellent rim protector and rebounder for us. He does a lot of stuff that doesn’t show up in a stat sheet. Kevin’s offensive game has improved as well. He is a good and willing passer while being able to score inside and outside.”
Roberts had a 5-1 record with a 2.28 earned run average with 41 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings and helped Prep to a 39-4 record and its seventh consecutive state title. Also a third baseman, Roberts had a .333 batting average with 33 runs scored, 32 runs batted in, 6 doubles and 3 home runs.
He has Division I offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Miami, Wake Forest, Michigan, Stanford, Louisville, Tulane, TCU, and Oregon.
Roberts also has Division I basketball offers from Jackson State and South Carolina.
Roberts is the son of Kevin and Shanice Roberts. Kevin played football at Meridian High and Louisiana-Monroe and coached football at Mississippi State and Southern Miss. Shanice graduated from Meridian High. Roberts’ brother, Kamron, is a freshman at Prep and plays football and baseball. His sister, Kayleigh, is seven years old and plays softball. Roberts’ youngest brother is Keagan and is four years old.
Prep plays at Presbyterian Christian School Friday in a Class 6A game in Hattiesburg.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a boys basketball player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by text or call to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.
WEEK ONE: Phil Nelson, Ridgeland
WEEK TWO: Jamarion Fleming, Canton
WEEK THREE: Mike Williams, Germantown
WEEK FOUR: Ben Segrest, Jackson Prep
WEEK FIVE: Caleb Gaitor, Jackson Academy
